MOSCOW, June 24 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will raise the issue of the immediate ratification of the agreement on the Adapted Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) during Friday talks with NATO head Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, a high-ranking Kremlin source told RIA Novosti. The NATO secretary-general arrived in Moscow Thursday night. NATO countries link the ratification to Russia's fulfillment of the 1999 Istanbul commitments, which include the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Transdnestr region (a self-proclaimed republic in Moldova) and reducing Russia's heavy military equipment in Georgia to the established limits.
Alexander Yakovenko, the official spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, recently said NATO's position had become an anachronism after Russia and Georgia reached an agreement on the Russian military bases.
"We are all aware of the situation in the Transdnestr region," Yakovenko said. "The withdrawal of Russian military equipment from the region depends on the political settlement there rather than on the Russian authorities."
During the talks between Putin and the NATO chief, the sides plan to exchange views on the prospects for Russia-NATO relations and review the results of the Russia-NATO Council's activities, the Kremlin source said.
Putin and Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will also discuss the regional security issues, including the situation in Afghanistan, Iraq, in the Balkans, in the Middle East and other regions, the source added.
Putin said on Thursday that Russia was seriously concerned about terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. In addition, the president said measures taken against the narcotics threat and drug trafficking had been ineffective.
According to the Kremlin source, the sides will also focus on NATO reforms, closer cooperation with the UN and the EU, and prospects for a Russia-NATO strategic partnership.
